Measuring Challenging Behavior

Once the challenging behavior (s) have been identified and defined in concrete and observable terms, it’s important to measure this targeted behavior. The collected and measurable data provides the baseline data against which stakeholders can judge the success of subsequent interventions and student progress. In addition to collecting data on the targeted student, the FBA should also collect comparative data on one or more other students. The observation method that's selected will depend on the challenging behavior to be measured. For example, an aggressive student may exhibit the following:

1. Physical Aggression - Making vulgar gestures, hitting, biting, or throwing things, fighting with others, etc. 

2. Verbal Aggressive (VA) - Verbally threatens &/or curses others, verbally refuses to perform requested action, etc. 

In this case, the behaviors can be viewed as discrete events, with an observable beginning and end; consequently, "event recording" may be the preferred observational technique. In this simple observational and recording system, the number of times an aggressive behavior occurs during a designated time period is noted. For example, over a week, the designated observer could record the number of aggressive and defiant behavior and find the daily average. This quantifies the scope of the problem for stakeholders and establishes a baseline data against which the success &/or failure of future interventions can be judged.

The hyperlinked observation form, with or without modifications, can assist in collecting and measuring the frequency of a challenging behavior. The form can also record those subjects, tasks, and/or activities where the targeted behavior occurs and doesn't occur; therefore, begin to hypothesize on the antecedent causes of the challenging behavior and perhaps those antecedent events which limit its occurrences for future interventions.

In addition to collecting data on the identified student’s challenging behavior, the evaluator may want to collect data on incompatible pro-social behavior, which could use &/or modify the hyperlinked chart to:

1. Record the occurrence of the challenging and pro social incompatible behaviors at predetermined units of time, in various subjects, periods, activities, times, &/or assigned tasks.
2. Find the average challenging &/or incompatible pro social behavior for each student in a class.
3. Determine where the challenging behaviors are the greatest (e.g., periods, subjects, times, tasks, activities, etc.) and with which students and/or adults.
4. Determine where challenging and incompatible incompatible pro social behaviors exist to help determine future interventions.
5. Identify weaknesses, which would be analyzed in the assessment, with recommendations in subsequent reports, documented in the Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) section of the IEP, and the possible goals of school-based interventions or special education programs and services (e.g., PBS, goals, related services, supplementary aids and services, etc.).
6. Summarized at predetermined intervals to monitor and provide feedback to stakeholders on the success of the student in achieving goals, such as increasing engaged learning and achievement.